Company
by fooboo24
Summary: Because if Roy Mustang wanted anyone to be by his side, then he wanted it to be Riza Hawkeye. Royai.


**Disclaimer: **I do not own FMA.

~P~

_Company_

~P~

Roy blinked at the building in front of him, once again going over in his mind whether or not he should go through with his idea. The environment around him was forcing him to make a decision quickly, or his body would make it for him – a bone-chilling rain was pouring heavily throughout the city, soaking the young Flame Alchemist and leaving him shivering uncontrollably.

Gathering his wits and taking a small step forward, he looked up at the window of her apartment and saw her turn off a light inside. Instantly, his confidence dissolved – what if she didn't want him there? It seemed as though she was preparing for bed. And besides, they had just returned from a long and frightful experience – the Ishvalan War of Extermination – and after having spent many a day alongside each other, it would make sense that Riza Hawkeye would just want to be by her lonesome for a few weeks afterwards.

But Roy held a little hope in his heart that maybe she felt the same way he did about being alone – that she didn't like it, that she found it as suffocating as he did, so that finally he might find someone who could give him comfort and that understood his situation. He knew that Maes tried to comprehend what was going through his head, tried to decipher the void of quietness Roy sometimes flung himself into when he thought he was alone – and while he appreciated his best friend's efforts, Hughes didn't know what he was going through. He had a person waiting for him after the hell on Earth they had all gone through – his precious wife-to-be Gracia. She stuck with him through the entire experience – she sent him encouraging letters and true to her word, the day they arrived back in Central, she was waiting there to greet him back into a life of at least partial normalcy. She would, in time, help the ghosts of Maes's past fade to the point where they wouldn't haunt him every night.

But did Roy have the luxury of someone like that in his life? No, and it was only upon returning to Central and realizing that he truly had no one and nothing to return to that this occurred to him full force. Roy Mustang was without anybody or anything by his side, and that emptiness stung and paralyzed him until he could take it no longer – and so there he stood in front of her apartment, seeking the warmth and company she had brought into his bleary life before they had been separated.

Deciding that he was never one to give up in a situation when the odds were against him, the Flame Alchemist squared his shoulders and trudged through the sheets of rain before him until he arrived at the entrance of her apartment complex. Reefing open the door, he sighed as the heat of the building's lobby engulfed him, more than glad to be out of the unpleasant downpour.

Noticing the steps to the second floor to his left, he made his way in said direction, mentally going over Riza's apartment number in his mind. _Apartment number twenty three. Twenty three. Twenty three._ She had told it to him before they had departed for home from Ishval, telling him to contact her if he ever needed her assistance – he doubted that this was the kind of assistance she had been thinking of when she had informed him, but none the less, he was taking her offer as she had presented it.

Upon climbing the short staircase to the second level, his eyes scanned the room until they fell on the number that kept repeating itself in his head. Blinking at it, Roy pushed forward until he was standing directly in front of the door. Sucking in a deep breath and raising a shaking fist, he pounded on it before dropping it and waiting for a response. He heard movement on the other side of the door, but it stopped, leaving the scene unbearably quiet for a few impossibly long moments. When he felt as though he couldn't take the silence any longer, the lock on the other side of the door clicked and before he knew it, Riza was peering at him from behind it.

Roy instantly felt bad about going to see her – she look utterly exhausted, and like he had predicted, just about ready to crawl into bed. He opened his mouth to apologize, but she spoke before he could. "Roy?" she blinked at him before her gaze softened and a small smile graced her features. Stepping out from behind the door, she continued with, "Hi."

"H-hey, Riza," he began, casting his eyes to the ground so as not to let his confidence in his reason being there shatter again by accidentally catching her steadfast stare. Pulling a hand through his messy black hair, the words tumbled out of his mouth uncontrollably. "IwasintheneighbourhoodandIre memberedthatyoulivearoundher eandIthoughtmaybeIshouldpayy ouavisit?"

Riza cocked an eyebrow at him, analyzing the man's demeanour and sopping wet appearance. He was normally very cool and collected, but something was very obviously making him frazzled and uncomfortable. And she seriously doubted that he was taking a leisurely walk around her neighbourhood in the pouring rain, considering he hated such awful weather – so he must have had a reason, a serious one, to have come and see her.

Nodding at him in conformation then, she raised her hand and with a little hesitance, placed it on his shoulder. Deciding not to breach the topic of what was troubling head on, she led him into her apartment slowly. "Of course," she answered. "I don't get, well... any visitors. So your presence isn't at all unwelcome, Roy. Now let's get you out of that wet coat."

If it was anyone else, they would have missed how her eyes dimmed every-so-slightly as she said her words, but Roy caught the slight change almost immediately and his face fell. Shutting the door behind himself and removing his drenched jacket, he walked across the small room that was both her den and dining room and inspected the space – it was plain, flawless. The walls were a sterile white color and it was decorated with a pristine seating and eating area – the young alchemist figured that it was a room barely ever used even by its owner.

"Well, this is my humble abode," Riza outstretched her hands and looked back at him. "It's really not much, but then again, I don't spend much time here. But, please, make yourself at home." She then made her way towards her kitchen. "I'll put on some tea for us, okay?"

"Thank you," he returned her smile from earlier, and walking over to one of her chairs, sat down. Once he was sure that she was out of earshot, he sighed a bit – now that he was actually in her apartment and speaking with her, he was much more at ease. Just being around her made him that much more relaxed, and he was even more reassured by her openness that she would understand and maybe even empathize with him when the time came for him to reveal what was wrong. Riza was the only other person the alchemist could think of who might know what he was going through – granted, he might just being selfish in his assumption that she disliked being by herself – but it was something he had to do, something he had to at least try and convey to her before giving up completely.

So when she joined him again a few minutes later and informed him that the tea would be ready soon, he didn't know why the room suddenly felt so stuffy and hot, for moments before he was convinced he was finally prepared for it. Taking a seat across from him on her small loveseat, Riza attempted to casually slide into conversation so that the main reason he was so clearly there could be revealed without prying. "So," she started, "how have you been since we got back here? Keeping yourself busy, I suppose?"

Roy was grateful for the small talk, as it allowed for his mind to focus on something else other than overanalyzing how the situation could play out. "I've just been trying to get used to such a slow life, I guess," he partially lied, then shrugged. It was true – switching from the fast-paced battlefield of Ishval to the leisurely, paperwork-filled lifestyle of Central in just a few weeks had not been an easy adjustment for the young, war-shaken man, but it was one that he was trying to make with as much grace as he could muster. He, however, with an inward chiding, neglected to mention the many sleepless nights he had endured, spent staring at the ceiling blankly and reliving the terrifying nights in the East. "You?"

"Same," she responded automatically. Motioning around her barren apartment, she smiled a bit, "but now I've finally got the time to break this place in and make it feel like an actual home, you know?" She smiled at him, and he forced one back and nodded – but he didn't know. Truth was, yet again, he didn't even have his own place to stay – he'd been living in a hotel for the past few weeks, with no sense of familiarity or family to greet him warmly. "So, how are Maes and Gracia doing? Are they really getting married?"

Roy's lips curled up in a brief moment of genuine happiness at the mention of his friend's engagement. "Yes, and honestly, Maes is the happiest I've seen him in years. Gracia brings out the best in him." But as quickly as the joy appeared on Roy's round face, it was gone, replaced with a bitterness, a jealousy deeply rooted in his chest. He hated feeling so poisonously about something that was so cheerful like marriage, but he could never seem to shake the reality that while Maes was moving on splendidly, he was stuck back in his past, unable to go ahead in his life and begin living positively again.

At this, an uncomfortable quiet set over the room, allowing for each of them to retreat back into the depths of their minds. Roy's brain was bubbling with the unresolved and unspoken conflict as to why he had even gone to see her in the first place, and he was filled with so much turmoil that he was sure if it weren't for the tea kettle screaming in the next room over interrupting the silence, he might have just confessed everything right then and there. Riza excused herself to go and retrieve their tea, but couldn't help but notice the distress that registered on Roy's face once he thought she was out of the room.

Returning as quickly as she could with the tea, she presented it to him and then sipped at hers wordlessly as she tried to think of an appropriate way to go about what was going to inevitably unfold. She didn't want to be blunt with him but at the same time she couldn't dance around the topic so subtly that he wouldn't pick up on her signals to vent. Inhaling deeply, the young war hero forcefully placed her tea down, and looking at the man before her with gentle eyes, inquired softly, "Is there any other reason you came to see me, Roy? Or was it just to catch up?"

The Flame Alchemist froze – he was caught, just like that. Well, Riza was always one for being perceptive. Feeling a sudden, suffocating fear rise up in his chest – not dissimilar to the paralyzing type he had felt when he first arrived in Ishval - Roy bolted upwards and made his way towards the door. "I'm sorry for causing you any trouble, Riza... I mean you must have better things to do than entertain a guest. I-I should get going," he said hastily.

Riza blinked at him before following his actions, intercepting him before he could make a quick escape from something he so desperately needed to face. Her hands held his arms firmly to keep him still, and no longer able to keep her worry to herself, she spoke her concerns with an urgency that caused her voice to tremble. "Roy," she started, her tone strong at first, but then wavering. "Please, tell me what's troubling you – what's got you so worked up all of a sudden?" The Flame Alchemist didn't provide her with eye contact, instead glaring at her door, hoping both that she would leave it be and let him go, but that she might also somehow fish it out of him. "Dammit, Roy Mustang, talk to me! Whatever it is, you can't keep quiet forever – you know better than anyone that saying nothing will just end up consuming you in the end! So stop this and say something to me!"

And at this, he finally couldn't take it anymore. Letting his arms fall to his sides and exhaling, Roy slumped against the wall. He still said nothing, but Riza was able to pull away from him without him making a run for it. The second she retreated away from him, though, he grabbed her back and held her there against his chest in a tight hug.

Riza stared straight ahead, surprised by the sudden action, but did not resist it, letting him bury his face in the crook of her neck. A few short moments passed before Roy loosened his grip on her and relaxed slightly, allowing for her to reach up and reciprocate the action. The young woman didn't know why he was clinging to her so desperately – all she knew was that he needed to be held and that she wasn't going to let him get away with running from his problems once again.

The pair stood there for a long while before she pulled away from him so she could see his face. "You can tell me anything, Roy," she reaffirmed what he was already thinking. He stared down at her with wide eyes, before finally relenting in his act and releasing her so that they could relocate to her living area once again. This time, however, he sat beside her on her loveseat.

The pair stayed seated in silence until their tea had cooled completely. Riza looked over at him beside her, eyebrows upturned in her concern for his wellbeing. Roy had his face in his hands and was as still as stone as he sat there, waiting for when he could finally muster up enough courage to utter those simple words to her.

It was only when she placed her hand on his shoulder to break him from his trance that they tumbled from his mouth. "I'm just so sick of being alone, Riza." He sighed then, heavy and tired, reflective of his emotional turmoil.

She tensed, taking in what he said and letting it seep into her mind. To see the normally cocky Major so put out was disconcerting to her, but to hear the source of such anguish was even more distressing. Squeezing his knee with her hand, she silently asked him to elaborate on what he had said, and he obliged without any issues.

"Doesn't it ever get to you, too?" he turned to her with wide, questioning eyes. The inquiry took Riza aback and brought her back to the multiple times she had pondered her own loneliness in the dark of her apartment. Before she could provide him with an answer, he continued to speak, "I used to be able to ignore it – but after seeing just how happy Maes and Gracia are... and actually having time to sit down and think things through for once instead of focussing on not getting killed... I've realized that I can't stand to be alone. It just hit me – how I have freaking no one and nothing waiting for me _anywhere_." Roy looked miserable as he finished deprecating himself, before an embittered smirk crossed his features and he shrugged as though the situation had turned casual. "Listen to me complaining – I'm as pathetic as I'll ever get, huh?"

"You're not pathetic!" she denied immediately, glowering at him and offended that he would think so lowly of himself. Roy blinked at her disagreement at his self-proclaimed worthlessness. Riza sighed upon seeing his expression, before hesitantly placing her hand atop his and rubbing soothing circles on it with her thumb. "You're not, Roy. It's natural to want to have someone around and in your life – loneliness doesn't sit well with people. And yet it's something we both suffer from, I... I can tell you that much. I understand what it's like to feel completely by yourself."

Instead of feeling the relief he thought he would at hearing her admit she had the same issue, he felt awful for having brought it up at all, and the feeling only doubled when he looked over at her and got sight of her forlorn face staring at the floor. Roy realized he didn't want empathy when it came to feeling so alone – no, he wanted another person in his life to help resolve his loneliness as a whole. He just wanted a friend to call his own, to give him company and happiness again. And he knew Riza could be just that person to him – just like he felt he could be the one to be there for her, too.

Suddenly overcome with need to see her smile again, he switched their hands' positions so that he was holding hers, and with a short, firm squeeze, he whispered, "Well, if you'd allow me to, then I'd like to be the one who puts an end to your loneliness, Riza." She looked up at him as he spoke, and her eyes were looking at him so intently that Roy turned away, feeling his face flush. Beginning to babble, he continued with, "I... I mean that way, we'd both feel less lonely and... well, I don't know, it just seems like the most logical idea, r-right?"

Riza continued to look at him, before directing her gaze to their hands, and her lips quirking up, she nodded. "I'd like that, Roy." Biting her lip, she mulled over her next actions, before deciding to take the risk and intertwining her fingers with Roy's. The Flame Alchemist stiffened, the heat of his face intensifying and his chest swelling.

The room went silent again then, but this time, it wasn't uncomfortable in the slightest. The pair basked in just having the other person's presence near them – words didn't need to be exchanged when it came to Roy and Riza. They were content just being together.

The blonde haired woman blushed cutely when she caught Roy's eyes on her, admiring her. Playing with a short strand of hair just behind her ear so she could prevent looking at him directly, she managed out, "What is it?"

"Just..." Roy opened his mouth to answer, but not wanting to begin chattering away again, settled with a simple, "Thank you, Riza. For being there for me, once again."

Riza nodded and gave him a warm smile in response, and the Flame Alchemist hoped that he wasn't blushing as hard as he felt he was. At least he could safely say that he was no longer chilled internally from the rain. The moment was broken, though, when a yawn escaped Riza's lips, Roy following her actions a few minutes later.

It was at this that Roy realized with a drop of disappointment in his stomach that he was still cutting into her sleep time and that it was getting late. Trying to keep from frowning – he had only just begun to feel the happiness she instilled in his life again, and he had to leave!? – he sighed, "I guess... I guess, I should get going." He released her hand slowly as he stood up, and swore it was only his imagination that her fingers lingered on his as he lifted them away. Looking out her window, he noticed that the rain had simply intensified, and the scowl he had held back made its way to his face. "Great," he muttered sarcastically, before walking to his entrance to retrieve his jacket. The young alchemist stopped in his tracks, though, when he heard Riza's voice speak, her tone low and whispering in her thinly-veiled embarrassment.

"You know, you could always just spend the night, if you'd like?"

Roy's eyes widened and he felt his heart thump erratically in his chest – had she really just said that, or was he just acting like an idiot and hearing things? "W-what?" he coughed, unable to keep in his disbelief.

"Well," she stood up, making her way over to him. "We all know you're useless in rain – and we can't have you catching a cold or you'll be even more useless when it comes to work!" She gave him a cheeky grin then, and Roy was glad that they were no longer holding hands as he could feel his palms growing clammy. "And I mean – the sofa doubles as a bed so... you could stay, if you wanted." Folding her arms behind her back, Riza directed her eyes to floor and toed at the carpet.

Swallowing difficultly, Roy placed his jacket back on her coat rack and nodded slowly. "S-sure."

Unprepared for his answer, Riza jumped a bit before scrambling away. "Okay! In that case, just give me a few minutes to set it up—"

Stepping forward, Roy chuckled and outstretched his hands, "No, no, let me help."

She protested but both just ended up helping equally. They chatted casually as they did up the bed, laughing and talking like it was something that they did every day, because if Roy had anything to do with it, it soon would be a daily occurrence between the pair.

~P~

**Author's Notes:** Aimless fic is aimless. Seriously, this was ridiculously difficult for me to write because I just didn't know what I wanted out of the damn thing! XD In general, I just don't like this fic, but I just can't focus on it long enough to improve upon it. :/

This fic is based off of Roy's Brotherhood OVA, "Yet Another Man's Battlefield". I just struck me that when they returned to Central that while Maes had Gracia waiting there for him, Roy had no one and he just stood there looking so lost and sad. I figured that Riza didn't really have anyone to come back to, either, and so... this fic was born!


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